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Congressional Integrity Project Weeks of April 3 and April 10 2023 Summary

Apr 14, 2023

Last week, Congressional Integrity Project welcomed Rep. James Comer back home to his district in Kentucky with an updated billboard, calling on his constituents to go to InvestigateComer.com. The billboard follows the Congressional Integrity Project’s letter to the Fayette Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, calling for an investigation into Comer’s involvement in obtaining and distributing leaked emails and, if there is sufficient evidence, for criminal action against him.

This week, CIP also launched a new digital ad campaign in half a dozen swing Republican districts and the District of Columbia as the 100th day of the MAGA-controlled House of Representatives approaches. The ads are calling on MAGA House Republicans to abandon their bogus political stunts and focus on the real problems facing their constituents. The ads also highlight how the recent House investigations are designed by MAGA Republicans to undermine President Biden in order to get more power for themselves, push their extreme agenda, and help Donald Trump, while giving platforms to extremists, conspiracy theorists, and election deniers.

The ads targeted the following members of the House of Representatives: 

Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-3),

Rep. John Duarte (CA-13),

Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. (NJ-7),

Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17),

Rep. Marcus Molinaro (NY-19), and 

Rep. Brandon Williams (NY-22).

This week, Public Citizen’s Lisa Gibert and CIP’s Leslie Dach published an opinion article, titled A hundred days into a MAGA-controlled House, the threat to democracy is stronger than ever. The article highlights how Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the extreme members he has put in positions of power, appear focused on undermining our democracy, condoning political violence and opposing the rule of law in an effort to advance their extreme agenda. Read the opinion article here

Along with this, CIP sent out 9 rapid-response products, such as statements, fact sheets, and roundups.

CIP was mentioned or quoted in the following articles and/or news appearances.

The Hill (Opinion, by Public Citizen’s Lisa Gilbert and Congressional Integrity Project’s Leslie Dach): A hundred days into a MAGA-controlled House, the threat to democracy is stronger than ever. “As we mark 100 days of MAGA control of the U.S. House of Representatives this week, one thing is absolutely clear: Speaker Kevin McCarthy (D-Calif.), and the extreme members he has put in positions of power, appear focused on undermining our democracy, condoning political violence and opposing the rule of law in an effort to advance their extreme agenda. They call convicted criminals who assaulted the police to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power “patriots.” They are also doing everything in their power to support former President Donald Trump and giving conspiracy theorists a microphone in congressional hearings. Instead of solving the problems that keep Americans up at night, MAGA Republicans in Congress and across the country are still pandering to a fringe minority and doing everything in their power to push their extreme agenda — including eroding our rights.” [The Hill, 4/11/23]

Louisville Courrier Journal (Opinion): Investigate the investigator: James Comer must be sidelined pending thorough inquiry. “As the old adage goes, when you fly this close to the sun, it’s easy to get burned and in this case, Comer set himself on fire. In his interview with the Times, Comer bragged about illegally obtaining emails about a political adversary and leaked them to the press to aide his 2015 campaign for Kentucky Governor. Kentucky law makes it a felony to unlawfully access any ‘computer software, computer program, data, computer system, computer network, or any part thereof.’ The Congressional Integrity Project sent a letter to the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird calling on her to launch a criminal investigation as misusing electronic information in this manner is a felony: ‘At the very least, it now appears that Chair Comer has admitted that he knowingly received – and then used, distributed, and leaked for his own political gain-emails that he knew to be unlawfully obtained, in violation of KRS 484.855.’” [Louisville Courrier Journal, 4/4/23]

Bloomberg: House GOP Pressures Trump Prosecutor With NYC Field Hearing. “The Congressional Integrity Project, a Democratic group monitoring House Republican investigations, labeled the planned hearing “retaliation” for the Trump indictment. ‘A field hearing from the Judiciary Committee in New York City is only another taxpayer-funded political stunt spearheaded by Jim Jordan and the MAGA GOP,’ the group’s executive director, Kyle Herrig, said in a statement.” [Bloomberg, 4/10/23]

CIP shared the following talking points and message guidance with our Allies and staff members on the Hill.